Twenty Four
The Magazine of XXIV Squadron
Association
Here are a selection of articles from our Summer 2002 issue:-
EDITORIAL
- The months since the 2001 Reunion have been quiet for the Association
except for an initial flurry of returned postcards from some of our
“ghost” members. Very pleased to hear from you and that you are quite
definite about wanting to stay on the mailing list. So without further
ado, another issue of Twenty Four to browse over. It has not been
as quiet on the world stage, with our military forces pushed to the
limits once again. The back up required to keep the Front Line supplied
with men and materials is never more evident at such times with Lyneham
and the Squadrons all at 110%. With such overwhelming evidence, it
may come as a surprise to some of you that the very existence of RAF
Lyneham is in question and under threat of closure. Huge support for
the base by local MP’s, councillors, villages, traders and even Association
members in the formidable form of “Sam Wright” have been leading an
impressive battle to make such an option unthinkable. We would like
to add our support also for the only possible decision – KEEP LYNEHAM
OPEN.
The Year 2001 Reunion
The Reunion weekend started on the Friday evening
as usual, but instead of the informal get-together at the Hilton,
it was straight in, all booted and suited for the Ladies Guest night
at the Mess. This change of format came about as a result of a suggestion
at last years AGM and seems to have worked a treat.
It was the best ever attendance the Association has
had for the evening dinner and brought a sense of "family" to the
night with so many past and present members sitting down together.
Old and long lost friends met up once again, despite the trials and
tribulations of the M4 motorway. A toast to many more such evenings.
Saturday morning did not reveal any casualties late on parade from
the previous nights festivities, the welcome from the Squadron personnel
and refreshments certainly helped. With the AGM safely ticked off
as the first item on the days agenda, no mean feat in view of a change
of Chairman and other hot topics, it was a pleasure to settle down
for our official briefing from Wing Commander Rick Hobson, OC 24.
This was a year and a day after the Association first met Rick prior
to him taking over the from Paul Oborn. We almost believed we were
all pilots with wings as Rick gave a briefing on how to fly the new
C130J. His team consists of 4 Flight Commanders, 23 Captains, 12 Co-pilots
and 14 Loadmasters working for 2 Group. The Squadrons responsibilities
also include acting as the J model conversion unit trainers.
With the old K model ageing rapidly, the race was
on to bring in the new J model, the first arriving in 1999, but it
was not until November 2000 that the first operational route to Gibraltar
was flown. The RAF is taking delivery of 25 in total at around £70M
each and for the spotters amongst you, here's what to look out for:-
External - no external fuel tanks, 6 bladed props, black boot on base
of fin for HF communications and de-icing, not normally fitted with
a refuelling probe. Internal - "Glass cockpit instrumentation, NO
Engineers position, Head Up Display and a world class radar system.
The type of tasking the Squadron being allocated is a long slip pattern
to the Middle East which ties up around 5 crews, plus other trips
to Kenya and Australia. The flight planning process is able to make
use of a laptop computer to upload the latest Jetplans, as well as
plug in Mission modules. From the flyers perspective, it is a radically
different aircraft to fly and requires changes to established operating
procedures and thought processes.
All the crews who have flown and become established
on the aircraft are really impressed and quick to point out that larger
more recent leased transports (C17) have been around for 10 years,
not brand new like the J. The future looks bright with the J as software
updates start to kick in during early 2002 and will include a Tactical
capability, along with night vision, defensive aids, secure communications
and tanker capability by 2005. The aircrew training and conversion
role already mentioned being carried out by 24 Squadron has meant
that even on Lyneham base, the crews are working in two locations.
The School House contains 4 CBT classrooms and 2 dynamic mission simulators
with impressive visual graphics showing a variety of world wide locations.
Loadmasters and ground crew have also been included in the complete
training package with the facilities of a Rear Cabin Trainer available
within the School House. The Station is broadly split into a North
and South divide due to the geography and takes the format old models,
Tactical role and the new model, Route flying.
Charities, mainly Burton Hill House School, still
continue to be well supported by the Squadron, £350 being raised on
a recent tombola evening. This and other events have placed the School
in a healthy financial position. A new avenue of interest for the
Squadron is a proposed affiliation to the Carmen Livery Company in
the City of London. This unusual request, (in real speak an order)
came via the AOC to encourage organisations to improve relations with
other local and national societies. A reminder and invitation was
extended to all concerning the commemoration of the Pisa accident
with a church service at St. Michael's in Lyneham village on the 9th
November 2001. A similar service was planned to be held in Italy to
coincide with the UK date. The presentation was rounded off with the
a variety of impressive digital photos of recent trips being shown
to a packed audience along with a lively question and answer session
before our lunch. An afternoon reminiscing in the atmosphere of the
crew room, poring over old photos and flight records proved as popular
as ever. For the more adventurous, a tour over the new J model was
laid on, which also gave a glimpse of what is going on at Lyneham
base to support all these global operations. Suddenly the day was
at a close, sad, but another one to look forward to next year. The
overwhelming theme this time was a sense of togetherness. The message
to be learnt is to bring as many family and friends to this unique
experience.
In Omnia Parati
Flying Machines of 24 – Skymaster
In issue 8 of the Newsletter, we covered the Avro York to the years
when the Hastings took over the VIP role. In looking back on the aircraft
types used by 24, the Valetta C 1 made a brief appearance in the Operations
Record Book between February 1950 and November later the same year.
With no disrespect to the mark, because of this very brief appearance,
a jump to the Skymaster 1 is pencilled in for this issue of the Newsletter.
As an aside, if any member has a record of flying in the Valleta,
or can throw some light on its role, do send it in. It will be given
an airing.
In mid-1939, American, Eastern and United Air Lines and Douglas shared
the view that there was a need for an aircraft similar in capacity
to the experimental DC-4 but of a lighter and somewhat simpler structure.
Agreement was also reached on the need to use less complex systems
and to design a cheaper aircraft and one easier to maintain and offering
substantially improved operating economics. The Douglas engineering
team, led by A. E. Raymond and E. F. Burton, was aware that there
would be little or no benefit in limiting itself to a redesign and
decided to design a completely new aeroplane. Confusingly, the new
machine was also designated DC-4, thus starting a tradition according
to which a DC number became permanently assigned to a given design
only when the aircraft was put into quantity production. To avoid
the confusion stemming from this practice, the original DC-4 with
triple fins and rudders became known as the DC4E, the E standing for
Experimental.
As originally conceived, the new DC-4 was some twenty-five per cent
lighter than the DC-4E and had a design gross weight of 50,000 lb
(22,680 kg). Its fuselage of circular cross-section had an internal
diameter of 118 in (3 m), 10 in (25.4 em) less than that of the DC4E,
and carried a single fin and rudder of clean design. The characteristic
DC wings of the DC4E. with marked sweep on the leading edge, were
replaced by considerably smaller wings of higher aspect-ratio, and
wing area was reduced from the DC4E's 2,155 sq ft (200.6 sq m) to
1,457 sq ft (135.4 sq m). The new wings. with constant taper on leading
and trailing edges, had a centre-section of typical Douglas/Northrop
construction with three spars while their outer panels were of single
spar construction. The tricycle undercarriage, one of the most successful
features of the original Douglas four-engined transport- was retained
for the new DC-4, although in a modified form as the main units retracted
forward into the inboard engine nacelles instead of laterally into
wing wells. The aircraft, with accommodation for 40 passengers by
day-ten rows with two seats on each side of a central aisle-or 28
passengers by night, was initially offered to the airlines with a
choice of powerplants: either four 1,000 hp Wright SGR-1820-G205A
Cyclone nine-cylinder radials or four 1,050 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin
Wasp S I C3-G fourteen-cylinder radials.
Initial reactions from American, Eastern and United were enthusiastic
and, after a change in powerplant to four 1,450 hp Pratt & Whitney
Twin Wasp (R-2000) 2SD1-G fourteen-cylinder radials had been agreed
upon, orders began to come in. For a while, however, it appeared that
the DC-4 was doomed before it ever flew. The war in Europe had resulted
in increased military orders for Douglas, from the British and French
Purchasing Commissions as well as by the US Armed Forces, and the
War Department instructed Douglas to concentrate on the design and
manufacture of combat aircraft and of the DC-3 and its military derivatives.
Donald Douglas was, however, intent on producing his new four-engined
transport for which he had received commercial orders for a total
of 61 aircraft. After assuring the War Department that the DC-4 programme
would not interfere with prompt delivery of military aircraft on order,
the Douglas Aircraft Company prepared itself for DC-4 production and
went ahead with its construction, albeit at a reduced pace. The Japanese
attack affected once again the DC-4 production plans. However, after
some uncertainty regarding the eventual disposition of the aircraft
already under construction, they were taken over by the US Army Air
Forces and designated C-54-DOs and C54A-DOs.
No DC-4 or C-54 prototype was built, and the first production aircraft,
s/n 3050, serial 41-20137, was completed as a C-54-DO in February
1942. Finished in military markings, it made its first flight from
Clover Field, Santa Monica. on 14 February with John F. Martin in
command. The C-54's successful maiden flight and its trouble-free
development trials programme provided the USAAF with a long-range
heavy logistic transport, a type urgently needed by the world-wide
scale of operations into which the United States had been forced without
proper preparation. The need to meet a requirement for longer range
on transatlantic and trans Pacific flights led to the modification
of the first twenty-four aircraft.
Apart from the US Armed Forces, only the RAF had Skymasters in squadron
service and this only during the last year of the war. The first in
British service was an ex-C-5411-1-130 (s/n 18326, 43-17126) which
was intended for the Prime Minister. Delivered in the autumn of 1944
and assigned the serial number EW999, the aircraft was operated by
the VIP Flight of No.246 Squadron but was returned to the United States
in late 1945. Twenty-two C-541d-DCs were also delivered to the RAF
beginning in February 1945 and, with the serials KL977 to KL986 and
KL988 to KL999, served with Nos.232 and 246 Squadrons, No.1332 Heavy
Conversion Unit, No. 1 Ferry Unit, and Air Command, South East Asia.
Being Lend-Lease aircraft, these Skymasters were returned to the United
States after the war and no other Skymaster was operated by the Royal
Air Force.
After VE-Day but before VJ-Day, France became the third nation to
fly C-54s when one C-54E-20-130 (s/n 27374, 44-9148) was presented
by the United States as a gift to General de Gaulle. This aircraft
was later augmented by a number of surplus C-54s, and Skymasters were
operated by the Armée de I'Air and the Aéronavale well into the sixties.
Like France, many other nations took advantage of the availability
of surplus Skymasters. Eventually, C-54s/DC-4s were operated by the
armed forces of at least fifteen nations other than the United States,
the United Kingdom and France and, in early 197 1, some of these aircraft
were still flown by the air forces of fourteen countries. Over the
North Atlantic route a converted C-54 of American Overseas Airlines
introduced commercial landplane service on 23 October, 1945, by flying
between New York and Hurn, near Bournemouth (then serving London)-with
technical stops at Gander, During the following years, six other al
France, SAS, Sabena and Swissair. initial services with DC-4s. Other
intercontinental, included trans-Pacific services by Pan A Airways,
the latter flying on behalf o Airlines and making a first experiment
initiating a fortnightly service from Sydney Atlantic route from South
America introduced by Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina beginning on
17 September, 1946. Before that time, following a proving flight which
left Amsterdam on 10 November, 1945. KLM and KNILM re-opened with
DC-4s their pre-war route linking the Netherlands East Indies. Later,
as more DC-4-1009s were delivered and surplus C-54s were made at an
increasing temp, DC-4s saw worldwide service with a large number of
scheduled carriers.
(extract from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920 Volume 1 by Rene
J Francillion)
Memory Banks 1
It should have been a routine RAF flight
but it ended in a terrifying crash. A group of men, including John
Gary Cooper from Ipswich, were returning to the UK after a tour of
duty in the Far East when disaster struck. The Hastings aircraft of
48 Squadron from Singapore was en route from Ceylon to the Maldive
Islands above the Indian Ocean on March 1, 1960.
Editors Note:- Apologies for block
capitals, but it would have taken ages to retype in normal case and
was considered an interesting enough article for those who flew or
worked on Hastings for inclusion. Read it as told by John himself.
SPLASHDOWN ON THE EQUATOR BY JOHN
COOPER
ON TUESDAY MARCH 1ST 1960 SEVERAL ROYAL AIR FORCE
MEN WERE BEING REPATRIATED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AFTER THEIR TOUR
OF DUTY IN THE FAR EAST, THESE MEN WERE MAINLY STATIONED AT ROYAL
AIR FORCE STAGING POST KATUNAYAKE (KNOWN BY ALL AS 'KAT') IN CEYLON,
THERE WERE TWO ROYAL MARINES AND TWO ABLE SEAMEN FROM THE ROYAL NAVY
ALSO RETURNING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. TOGETHER WITH THE COMMANDING
OFFICER OF KAT, WING COMMANDER GEOFF ATHERTON D.F.C. AND A FLIGHT
LIEUTENANT FROM PAY ACCOUNTS THESE SERVICEMEN MADE UP THE COMPLEMENT
OF 14 PASSENGERS WAITING TO BOARD A HANDLEY PAGE HASTINGS TG579 A
C1 AIRCRAFT OF 48 SQUADRON CHANGI, SINGAPORE FOR THE 600 MILE TRIP
TO ROYAL AIR FORCE GAN IN THE MALDIVE ISLANDS.
THE HASTINGS WAS DELAYED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME
DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, ALTHOUGH STEW AND TONY THINK THE CREW MAY
HAVE MADE A RETURN TRIP TO GAN THAT DAY AND WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EN
ROUTE TO GAN BY MID MORNING, HOWEVER DUE TO THESE DELAYS THE PASSENGERS
AND CREW DID NOT EMBARK UNTIL 1700HRS LOCAL TIME AND EVENTUALLY LIFTED
OFF FROM RAF KATUNAYAKE AT 1734HRS. THE KNOWN PASSENGERS WERE CORPORALS
BILL GRUNDY A FIREMAN, (BILL) MURRAY AN ENGINE FITTER, SENIOR AIRCRAFTSMEN
TONY GREEN AIRFRAME MECHANIC, STEWART TUCKER AIR RADAR MECHANIC, TONY
MEALING AIR WIRELESS MECHANIC(?), DAVID BLOOMFIELD AN MT DRIVER AND
JOHN 'GARY' COOPER AN ENGINE MECHANIC, LEAVING ONE PASSENGERS NAME
WE CAN'T REMEMBER.
THE CREW NUMBERED SIX, THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST PILOT
WAS FLIGHT LIEUTENANT R.T.D. SCOTT A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PILOT WITH
OVER 3000 FLYING HOURS ON HASTINGS AIRCRAFT ALONE AND WAS A HOLDER
OF A MASTER GREEN INSTRUMENT RATING CERTIFICATE, HIS CO-PILOT WAS
FLIGHT SERGEANT G.F. APPLEGARTH MUCH LESS EXPERIENCED ON TYPE WITH
APPROXIMATELY 500 FLYING HOURS, I AS A PASSENGER UP TO THIS DATE HAD
97 HOURS FLYING EXPERIENCE IN HASTINGS AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINDER OF
THE CREW CONSISTED OF A NAVIGATOR, SIGNALLER, FLIGHT ENGINEER AND
AIR QUARTERMASTER (LATER KNOWN AS LOADMASTER) WHOSE NAMES ARE UNKNOWN.
THE WEATHER ON LIFT OFF WAS FINE AND STILL DAYLIGHT,
THIS AIRCRAFT, APART FROM ITS PASSENGERS, WAS CARRYING SOME AIRCRAFT
GROUND EQUIPMENT IN THE FORM OF AIRCRAFT HYDRAULIC JACKS AND THE EQUIPMENT
NECESSARY TO EQUIP THE DENTAL SECTION AT RAF GAN IN THE AIRCRAFTS
FUSELAGE AND ALSO PERSONAL EFFECTS OF THOSE ON BOARD IN THE LUGGAGE
HOLD, THE PASSENGERS HAND LUGGAGE WAS SITUATED IN RACKS STOWED ABOVE
THE PASSENGERS HEADS. I WAS SAT FACING AFT ON THE STARBOARD SIDE OF
THE AIRCRAFT ADJACENT TO A PORT HOLE WINDOW AND DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE
THE MAIN PASSENGER DOOR, A MATE AND WORK COLLEAGUE TONY GREEN, SAT
ALONG SIDE ME, WE WERE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LAST IMAGES OF CEYLON
AND THOSE BRILLIANT SUNSETS ENCOUNTERED IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD,
CHATTING ABOUT GOING HOME AFTER TWO PLUS YEARS AND LOOKING FORWARD
TO A GOOD OLD ENGLISH PINT OF BEER.
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE IT GOT DARK AND THERE WAS SOME
TURBULENCE, WHICH IS USUALLY FOUND ON MOST AIRCRAFT TRIPS, THIS TURBULENCE
INCREASED IN INTENSITY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WE WERE INFORMED TO
FASTEN SEAT BELTS AS RECALLED BY TONY, AND ON APPROACH TO GAN THE
TURBULENCE WAS EXTREMELY SEVERE, I MYSELF HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH
BUFFETING AS THIS BEFORE, LIGHTNING COULD EASILY BE SEEN LIGHTING
UP THE CLOUDS, ONE WONDERS WHY THE PILOT CANNOT FLY ABOVE THE STORM
BUT OFTEN CLOUD BANKS IN INTENSE TROPICAL STORMS CAN RANGE FROM A
FEW HUNDRED FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL TO HEIGHTS OF OVER 30000 FEET, THIS
HASTINGS AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE THIS CEILING CAPACITY AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE
DID NOT CARRY OXYGEN OR MASKS FOR SUCH AN EVENTUALITY ( ALTHOUGH SOME
HASTINGS WERE FITTED WITH MASKS AND OXYGEN ESPECIALLY WHEN USED IN
THE CASEVAC ROLE) , NORMAL FLYING HEIGHT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 8000
FEET FOR A TRIP OF THIS SORT. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AT GAN
THE AIRFIELD MEASURES JUST OVER ONE MILE SQUARE AND THE LENGTH OF
THE SINGLE RUNWAY EQUALS THE EXACT LENGTH OF THE ISLAND WITH NO UNDER
OR OVERSHOOT FACILITIES (APART FOR SOFT CORAL BELOW THE HIGH AND LOW
TIDE WATER LEVEL), THERE ALSO WAS (IN 1960) NO OTHER AIRFIELD WITHIN
HUNDREDS OF MILES OF GAN TO DIVERT TO IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY,
APART FROM A RETURN TRIP TO KATUNAYAKE AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH
FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT TO MAKE THIS RETURN TRIP IF DEEMED NECESSARY.
AS PASSENGERS WE WERE ALL GETTING PRETTY ANXIOUS,
SOMETHING I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE WITH FLYING IN BOTH CIVIL
AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT, WHEN SUDDENLY THE LIGHTS OF GAN AIRFIELD APPEARED
BELOW THE AIRCRAFT, SOME EYE WITNESSES (CORPORAL ANDY MUTCH AN AIR
WIRELESS FITTER OF SASF GAN AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT)
COULD HEAR THE AIRCRAFT BUT NOT SEE IT DUE TO THE EXTREME WEATHER
CONDITIONS PREVAILING, OTHERS INCLUDING MIKE BUTLER COULD SEE THE
AIRCRAFT AND ESTIMATED ITS HEIGHT AT 80', I FELT THE HEIGHT WAS 400',
WE KNOW FROM THE OFFICIAL ACCIDENT REPORT THAT THE CLOUD BASE WAS
420' AND THAT THE HASTINGS OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY, STEWART AND TONY THOUGHT
THE AIRCRAFT DID TOUCH THE RUNWAY, DAVID AND I AM CERTAIN IT DID NOT,
OTHERS CLAIMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW IN FROM THE WEST (FEDHOO DIRECTION)
INCLUDING FIREMAN ROGER 'STEVE' STEVENS WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE FIRE
STATION THAT NIGHT AND WHO HAD TAKEN UP A POSITION ADJACENT TO AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL WITH HIS CREW IN THE FIRE ENGINE WHICH IS NORMAL PROCEDURE,
IT IS KNOWN THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE ONE SINGLE LOW LEVEL APPROACH,
EXACT HEIGHT UNKNOWN, OVER THE ISLAND FROM THE EAST AND BANKED TO
PORT. THE ACCIDENT REPORT RECORDS THIS TIME AS BEING 2034 HOURS LOCAL
TIME, EXACTLY THREE HOURS AFTER LIFT OFF FROM OUR HOME BASE IN CEYLON,
(THESE TIMES WERE ORIGINALLY QUOTED 'ZULU' TIMES AND HAVE BEEN READJUSTED
TO LOCAL TIMES FROM CORPORAL HARRY HEYWOOD STATIONED IN GAN AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT AND EX SQUADRON LEADER NEIL JONES
AN EXPERIENCED EX HASTINGS AND HERCULES TRANSPORT PILOT).
HASTINGS TG579 FLEW OFF FOR ANOTHER TWENTY MINUTES
AND ACCORDING TO THE ACCIDENT REPORT 'MADE A VERY LONG LOW APPROACH
TO LAND IN MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS' IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT
THE WEATHER WAS STILL RAGING, WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THERE WAS A
MIGHTY CRASH AND JUDDERING AND SILENCE FROM THE ENGINES, IT IS KNOWN
THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DOWN AND ON THIS FIRST IMPACT BECAME DETACHED
FROM THE HASTINGS, BOTH WHEELS STILL INFLATED, WERE RECOVERED THE
FOLLOWING MORNING BY THE MARINE CRAFT SECTION WHEN FOUND TO BE AFLOAT
DRIFTING IN THE LAGOON, THESE WERE RETRIEVED BY ROD VENNERS USING
A DAVID BROWN TRACTOR. IT IS THOUGHT THAT ON THIS FIRST IMPACT AT
125 KNOTS THAT NUMBERS ONE AND TWO HERCULES ENGINES WERE TORN OUT
OF THE BEARERS AND DETACHED FROM THE BULKHEADS, WE KNOW THAT THESE
TWO ENGINES WERE DEFINITELY MISSING, IT IS ALSO THOUGHT THAT NUMBER
THREE ENGINE ALSO BECAME DETACHED AS REPORTED BY ALL FOUR SURVIVING
PASSENGERS. DEFINITELY NUMBER FOUR ENGINE WAS STILL ATTACHED. ALSO
AT THIS POINT IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG ROUND 180 DEGREES
FROM ITS EASTERLY APPROACH AND WAS NOW FACING AWAY FROM GAN (TG580
CRASHED ON LANDING AT GAN IN JULY 1959 AND PREVIOUS TO THIS TWO OTHER
INCIDENTS INCLUDING ONE ON THE GREENLAND ICECAP INVOLVING A HASTINGS,
EACH TIME THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG 180 DEGREES), A FURTHER THEORY IS THAT
THE GAN CHANNEL WHERE THE HASTINGS CAME DOWN IN THE SEA, THAT THE
CURRENT HERE FLOWS AT A VERY FAST 7-8 KNOTS AND IT IS THOUGHT POSSIBLE
THAT THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG ROUND ON THE CURRENT. NEXT THERE WAS ANOTHER
CRASH, NOT AS SEVERE AS THE FIRST BUT TOO HARD FOR ANY NORMAL LANDING
IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT A FIRST AID BOX BECAME DETACHED FROM ITS
STOWAGE FLEW ACROSS THE CABIN AND HIT GEOFF ATHERTON FULLY IN THE
FACE, WE LATER DISCOVERED THIS BROKE HIS NOSE. THERE THEN WAS A THIRD
ALMOST GENTLER CRASH ALMOST AS THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED ON THE
RUNWAY. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW AND SAYING
TO TONY GREEN THAT I COULD NOT SEE ANY RUNWAY LIGHTS (T0NY RECALLS
THIS EVENT), IT WAS NOT OBVIOUS TO ANY OF THE PASSENGERS AT THAT TIME
BUT WE HAD HIT THE SEA AND OUR FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF THIS WAS WHEN THE
AQM OPENED THE MAIN ENTRANCE/EXIT DOOR WHEN WATER RUSHED IN. HERE
WE WERE HAVING JUST CROSSED THE EQUATOR BY SOME 41 MILES AND OUR BAPTISM
WAS ABOUT TO BE REALISED.!
ON THE ACCIDENT REPORT ON THIS FINAL LOW LEVEL APPROACH
TO THE RUNWAY THE REPORT READS "ON THE SECOND APPROACH THERE
WAS A BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHTNING AT ABOUT 2 MILES, CAUSING PILOT
TO LOOK INTO COCKPIT TO RECOVER HIS VISION. SECOND PILOT THEN CALLED
APPROACHING 50' AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AIRCRAFT HIT THE SEA. MINOR
INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY ALL MEMBERS OF CREW AND PASSENGERS"
(INCIDENTALLY FROM BOTH BLOOMFIELD AND COOPER'S MEDICAL RECORDS THERE
IS NO MENTION OF THIS). IT ALSO SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT A TRANSPORT
AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN A FLYING BOAT WOULD BE FLYING AT THIS LOW ALTITUDE
FROM SUCH A DISTANCE FROM THE RUNWAY (1.5 NAUTICAL MILES), THE CLOUD
BASE WAS WE KNOW 420' AND LATER A SHACKLETON MR1 DID A SARAH (SEARCH
AND RESCUE AND HOMING), AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE SHACKLETON WOULD
HAVE BEEN SEARCHING AT THIS ALTITUDE.
IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HARRY HEYWOOD RECALLS ' THE
EVENING THAT THE HASTINGS DITCHED TO THE EAST OF THE ISLAND, I WAS
ON DUTY IN THE ATC TOWER. IT WAS A QUIET EVENING WITH LITTLE ACTIVITY
ON THE W/T CIRCUITS AND I WAS CHATTING TO THE DUTY CONTROLLER, FLIGHT
LIEUTENANT MORGAN-SMITH, WHEN THE HASTINGS MADE HIS FIRST APPROACH
THROUGH THE GALE AND LASHING RAIN THAT ENVELOPED THE ISLAND. THE AIRCRAFT
ABORTED ITS INITIAL APPROACH AND ASKED FOR THE RUNWAY LIGHTS TO BE
INCREASED IN INTENSITY. THIS WAS DONE, AND WE STROVE TO SEE HIS LANDING
LIGHTS THROUGH THE STORM, BUT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE-IT WAS LIKE A SCENE
FROM A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE. THE DATCO ASKED HIM (THE PILOT) TO CONFIRM
"THREE GREENS" - UNDERCARRIAGE DOWN AND LOCKED - AND THE
LAST TRANSMISSION WAS HIS ANSWER, "ROGER, DOWNWIND, THREE GREENS,
RUNWAY IN SIGHT".
SUDDENLY THERE WAS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FEEDBACK
SCREECH, PERHAPS TWO MICROPHONES BEING OPENED AT THE SAME TIME, AND
THE C/R D/F (CATHODE RAY DIRECTION FINDER) REACTED TO IT. THE TRACE
ILLUMINATED ON THE SCREEN, ORIENTATED EAST, THE DIRECTION WHERE HE
(THE AIRCRAFT) WAS EXPECTED TO BE. THE DATCO (DUTY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
OFFICER) INITIATED A CALL; NO REPLY; CALLED AGAIN, NO REPLY, AND EXCLAIMED,
"CHRIST, I THINK HE'S GONE IN" OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT.
AT THAT POINT CONTROLLED PANIC TOOK OVER AS THE SAR (SEARCH AND RESCUE)
DRILLS WERE PUT INTO EFFECT, AND I KEPT OUT OF THE WAY. I HAVE A SUSPICION
THAT ONE OF MY WIRELESS OPERATORS SENIOR AIRCRAFTSMAN RUSS TAYLOR
, ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE HAD MADE HIGH FREQUENCY RADIO TRANSMITTER
CONTACT WITH THE BOATS (AIR SEA RESCUE LAUNCHES).
ROGER STEVENS, IN CHARGE OF THE GAN FIRE STATION WAS
ALONGSIDE THE CONTROL TOWER WHEN INSTRUCTED TO 'ENTER THE ACTIVE AND
PROCEED WITH CAUTION, BECAUSE WE THINK THE AIRCRAFT HAS CRASHED'.
ROGER AND HIS CREW WERE DISPATCHED TO THE CHANNEL END OF THE ISLAND
TO SEARCH FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND SURVIVORS BUT FOUND OR HEARD NOTHING.
THEY WERE ALSO INSTRUCTED TO WADE OUT ON TO THE CORAL REEF BUT DECIDED
AGAINST THIS COURSE OF ACTION DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF SHARKS AND MORAY
EELS IN THE VICINITY. HOWEVER THE SASF DUTY CREW WERE TAKEN BY VEHICLE
TO THIS POINT AND DID WADE ON TO THE REEF TO LISTEN AND SEARCH FOR
SURVIVORS BUT AGAIN FOUND AND HEARD NOTHING, THE STATION ADJUTANT
STOOD THE DUTY CREW DOWN AND GAVE THEM A BOTTLE OF RUM FOR THEIR EFFORTS
AS RECALLED BY ANDY MUTCH. ALL EMERGENCY TEAMS ON STANDBY WERE 'CALLED
OUT', BY GREAT FORTUNE A SEARCH AND RESCUE SHACKLETON MR1 AIRCRAFT
OF 205 SQUADRON INDEX NUMBER WB834 HAD BEEN DETACHED FROM CHANGI ON
A TWO WEEK ATTACHMENT TO GAN AND THIS AS FAR AS WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED
WAS AIRBORNE WITHIN 20 MINUTES OF THE ACCIDENT OCCURRING. FLIGHT LIEUTENANT
JOHNNY ELIAS WAS THE DUTY CAPTAIN AND FIRST PILOT. BILL BARKER WAS
ON THE PINNACE 1374 (ASR LAUNCH) AS A SENIOR AIRCRAFTSMAN MOTOR BOAT
CREWMAN AND WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE OF THE DITCHING, INCIDENTALLY
THIS LAUNCH CAN STILL BE SEEN PLYING THE WATERS AROUND THE HOLYHEAD
AREA.
BACK AT THE CRASH SITE, ORGANISED CHAOS WAS TO BE SEEN, WITH THE SUDDEN
SURGE OF WATER INTO THE FUSELAGE AREA EVERYONE'S IMMEDIATE REACTION
WAS TO VACATE THE SINKING HASTINGS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, I CERTAINLY
RECALL TAKING MY LAP BELT OFF, REACHING IMMEDIATELY ABOVE MY HEAD
TAKING THE MAE WEST (LIFE JACKET) FROM ITS PLYBOARD STOWAGE, BEING
AT LEAST ANKLE DEEP IN WATER, BUTTONING UP THE JACKET BUT NOT TIGHTENING
THE STRAPS AND EXITING THE AIRCRAFT BY THE MAIN DOOR (I HAVE SINCE
BEEN INFORMED BY FRANK OGDEN AN EX HASTINGS FLIGHT ENGINEER THAT IF
INFLATING A LIFE JACKET BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER THERE WAS A GOOD
CHANCE OF BREAKING YOUR NECK WHEN ENTERING THE SEA !), AT THIS POINT
THERE WAS NO THOUGHT OF SALVAGING ANY OF OUR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS,
IT WAS A QUESTION OF SAVING LIVES THAT BECAME THE PRIORITY. IT IS
CLAIMED BY PILOT OFFICER COLIN VINCENT WHO WAS POSTED TO HQFEAF FAIRY
POINT, CHANGI SHORTLY AFTER THE CRASH AND WAS A SERVING NATIONAL SERVICE
OFFICER ATTACHED TO THE LEGAL BRANCH, SEEING THE BOARD OF INQUIRY
REPORTS AND RECALLS THAT HE HAD MET WING COMMANDER GEOFF ATHERTON
ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AT FAIRY POINT AND RECALLED THAT HE WAS 'A
MOST CHARMING AND COURTEOUS MAN' AND THAT IT WAS GEOFF THAT TOOK CHARGE
IN HIS CALM AUTHORITATIVE MANNER WHICH ENSURED THAT THE PASSENGERS
EXITED THE AIRCRAFT INTO LIFE RAFTS IN AN ORDERLY MANNER, THAT ALL
THE CREW WERE ALSO SAFE AND THAT RAFTS WERE KEPT TOGETHER UNTIL RESCUED
BY THE HIGH SPEED LAUNCH' I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION AT THIS POINT THAT
NO INSTRUCTIONS WERE HEARD BY THE FOUR SURVIVING PASSENGERS ON EVACUATING
THE AIRCRAFT, SOME MEMBERS OF CREW AND SOME PASSENGERS EXITED THE
AIRCRAFT VIA THE MAINPLANE ESCAPE HATCHES AND STEPPED INTO THE INFLATED
DINGHIES, WHILST AT LEAST ALL FOUR PASSENGERS MENTIONED EARLIER WERE
IMMERSED IN SEA WATER, FUEL AND OIL WHEN VACATING THE AIRCRAFT. I
ALSO RECALL OTHERS IN THE WATER, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO HAUL
MYSELF INTO A DINGHY, AS I HAD INGESTED A LUNG FULL OF WATER, OIL
AND FUEL, ONCE IN THE WATER I PULLED MY RED EMERGENCY TOGGLE ON MY
LIFE JACKET AND THIS BROUGHT ME TO THE SURFACE, I ESTIMATE MY TIME
IN THE WATER AT LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I WAS PULLED
ON A LIFERAFT BY A SAILOR OR MARINE AS I CERTAINLY ENDED UP IN THEIR
DINGHY. STEW TUCKER HELD ON TO HIS LIFE JACKET UNTIL HE GOT INTO THE
DINGHY AS HIS BUTTONS WERE ALREADY FASTENED UP,TONY ALSO RECALLS THE
BUTTONS BEING FASTENED WHEN TAKEN FROM THE STOWAGE, DAVID BLOOMFIELD
RECALLS HAVING TO FIGHT OFF SOMEBODY HAMPERING HIS PROGRESS TO GET
INTO A DINGHY.
ONCE WE WERE ALL IN THE DINGHIES A HEAD COUNT WAS ORDERED BY A FLIGHT
LIEUTENANT PAY ACCOUNTS OFFICER FROM KATUNAYAKE AND STEW TUCKER TOOK
ON THIS ROLE GIVING EACH PERSON A NUMBER, HE RECALLS NUMBERING HIMSELF
LAST, IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT A MEMBER OF CREW HAD BEEN REPORTED
MISSING AND WE COULD CERTAINLY HEAR CRIES OF HELP FROM WHAT APPEARED
TO BE THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT IS THOUGHT BY ALL THAT
THIS WAS THE FLIGHT ENGINEER WHO HAD EITHER ESCAPED THROUGH THE EMERGENCY
HATCH NEXT TO HIS STATION OR VIA THE STARBOARD WING, IT IS KNOWN THAT
OF THE 20 OCCUPANTS ALL ESCAPED THROUGH EXITS ON THE PORT SIDE OF
THE AIRCRAFT EXCEPT THE ONE PERSON ADRIFT. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT
GEOFF ATHERTON DIVED INTO THE WATER FROM A DINGHY AND SWAM AFTER THE
PERSON WHO WAS ADRIFT. HE STAYED WITH THIS PERSON UNTIL RESCUED DESPITE
RECEIVING THE FULL FORCE OF A WOODEN FIRST AID BOX FULLY IN HIS FACE
SUSTAINING A BROKEN NOSE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT GEOFF ATHERTON WAS AWARDED
A COMMENDATION FOR HIS DEEDS THAT NIGHT AND JUSTLY DESERVED. IT IS
ALSO NOTEWORTHY TO REPORT THAT GEOFF SHOT DOWN 5 JAPANESE BOMBERS
AND FIGHTERS IN WW2 AND WAS AWARDED THE DFC AND BAR, HE WAS EVENTUALLY
SHOT DOWN BY THE JAPANESE INTO THE SEA IN 1944 AND WAS RESCUED BY
A CATALINA FLYING BOAT. SO TWICE HE ENDED UP IN THE DRINK!
SEVERAL MINUTES HAD PASSED SINCE THE INITIAL DITCHING
AND WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT OUR THOUGHTS AND PUT IN TO BEING A PLAN
OF ACTION, THE FIRST THING NECESSARY WAS TO GET OURSELVES AWAY FROM
THE AIRCRAFT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR SEVERAL REASONS, WHEN THE
HASTINGS WAS GOING TO SINK WOULD THE SUCTION TAKE US DOWN AS WELL,
THERE WAS THE ADDED RISK OF HIGH OCTANE AVGAS FUEL AND ENGINE OIL
IGNITING PLUS OTHER HAZARDS OF BATTERY ACIDS AND OTHER VOLATILE SUBSTANCES
IN THE AREA. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT WE HAD FOUND SOME PADDLES IN
THE DINGHIES AND I CERTAINLY WAS USING ONE OF THESE FRANTICALLY TRYING
TO PADDLE THE DINGHIES AWAY FROM THE TWISTED ALUMINIUM OF THE WINGS
AND TAILPLANE, STEW RECALLS HOW HE HAD LEFT THE DINGHY BY STEPPING
ON TO A WING TRYING TO PUSH THE DINGHIES AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT, WHAT
WE DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT THE DINGHIES WERE STILL TETHERED TO THE AIRCRAFT
BY CORD, STEW RECALLS IT WAS ME THAT HAD SPOTTED THIS AND ASKED IF
ANYONE HAD GOT A KNIFE, WHEN EITHER A SAILOR OR MARINE PULLED A KNIFE
FROM HIS SOCK AND SEVERED THE CONNECTIONS, THE REMAINDER OF THE CORD
WAS THEN USED TO TETHER THE DINGHIES TOGETHER, NONE OF US ARE SURE
HOW MANY DINGHIES WERE IN USE BUT THE CONSENSUS OF OPINION IS THAT
THERE WERE THREE, ONE OF WHICH WAS DEFLATING (PROBABLY PUNCTURED BY
THE ALUMINIUM), ONE WHICH CONTAINED THE CREW NO ONE RECALLS HOW THIS
BECAME DETACHED FROM THE OTHER TWO.
FORTUNATELY THERE WAS LIGHT FROM THE EMERGENCY BATTERIES
LIGHTING UP THE INSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND FLASHES OF LIGHTNING STILL
RAGING FROM THIS HORRENDOUS STORM, SO WE WERE AT TIMES ABLE TO SEE
WHAT WAS GOING ON APART FROM FEELING AROUND THE DINGHIES FOR EMERGENCY
EQUIPMENT. WE HAD CERTAINLY FOUND THE PADDLES AND AT LAST WE WERE
MAKING PROGRESS IN GRADUALLY DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE POINT OF DANGER,
HOWEVER THE DINGHY THAT WAS DEFLATING WAS CAUSING SOME ANXIETY TO
ITS OCCUPANTS AS CORPORAL MURRAY, A RATHER ROTUND CHAP, WAS BEING
PHYSICALLY ILL AND SITTING ON THE BELLOWS AS RECALLED BY TONY, DAVID
AND STEW, THEY EACH TOOK IT IN TURNS BY KEEPING THE DINGHY INFLATED
BY THIS PUMPING ACTION. BOTH DAVID, STEW AND I RECALL FINDING 'HATS',
TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES THESE LOOKED LIKE A HUGE TEAT END PIECE
OF A CONDOM, THIS CONSISTED OF A PLASTIC TIGHT FITTING HOOD WITH A
TINY TORCH BULB IN THE TEAT END, TO ACTIVATE THE LIGHT YOU HAD TO
IMMERSE A SMALL CIGARETTE SIZE PACKET BATTERY IN WATER (OBVIOUSLY
WE HAD AN OCEAN FULL OF THIS!) WHICH ACTIVATED THE LIGHT BULB ON THE
TOP OF THE HEAD, THERE WERE MANY OF THESE IN THE DINGHIES BUT HOW
THESE COULD BE SEEN FROM ANY DISTANCE IS BEYOND ME. WE NEVER CAME
ACROSS ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT WITHIN THESE DINGHIES, TO MY KNOWLEDGE
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EMERGENCY RATIONS INCLUDING 'DOG' BISCUITS,
DRIED HORLICKS TABLETS AND OTHER TABLETS TO CONVERT SALT WATER IN
TO FRESH WATER, IN ADDITION THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A YELLOW BOX KITE
(FOR DAY TIME USE) AND FLARES BUT NONE OF THESE WERE FOUND. DAVID
RETAINED HIS HELIOGRAPH FROM HIS MAE WEST, THIS IS A SIGNALLING DEVICE
EMPLOYING A QUADRANT MIRROR TO REFLECT THE SUN'S RAYS FOR PASSING
SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT TO SPOT IN SUCH EMERGENCIES.
AGAIN ONLY MINUTES HAD PASSED FOR ALL OF THIS TO HAPPEN,
WE COULD HEAR THE ENGINES OF THE SHACKLETON FIRE INTO LIFE AND TO
A TRAINED MECHANIC THIS SOUND OF 4 ROLLS ROYCE GRIFFON ENGINES WAS
ALMOST HEAVEN SENT, WE AS SURVIVORS DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A SHACKLETON
BASED AT GAN BUT MIGHTY PLEASED THAT THERE WAS.
WE WERE NOW BEGINNING TO SETTLE DOWN INTO SOME SORT
OF ROUTINE WITHIN THE DINGHIES, WE WERE NOW WELL ADRIFT OF THE CRASHED
HASTINGS WHICH WAS STILL AFLOAT, PERHAPS TWO HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM
ITS TAIL END, THE NOSE POINTING AWAY FROM GAN (AS ALSO REMEMBERED
BY STEW , DAVID AND MYSELF), THE AIRFIELD LIGHTS WERE TO OUR RIGHT
AND WE COULD ONLY SEE THESE AS WE ROSE ON THE CREST OF EACH GIANT
WAVE, HANGING ON TO THE GUIDE ROPES FOR DEAR LIFE, STILL IN A RAGING
THUNDERSTORM. HOW TG579 MANAGED TO RIDE THESE WAVES FOR SO LONG IS
A REMARKABLE TESTAMENT TO ITS DURABILITY AGAIN IT IS A CONSENSUS OF
OPINION THAT SHE STAYED AFLOAT FOR SOME TWENTY MINUTES UNTIL SLIPPING
DOWN STARBOARD WING FIRST (STEW THINKS PORT WING DOWN) INTO DEEP WATER.
THE PORT WING ROSE INTO THE AIR DEVOID OF BOTH OF ITS HERCULES ENGINES,
OTHERS NOTICED THAT NUMBER THREE ENGINE WAS ALSO MISSING, IT WAS SAD
TO SEE HER DISAPPEAR AS SAILORS WOULD A SINKING OR TORPEDOED SHIP.
IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN US GOING DOWN WITH IT, I ALSO FIND IT AMAZING
THAT IF TWO OR THREE ENGINES WERE RIPPED FROM THE BULKHEADS WEIGHING
OVER A TON EACH WHY THE WINGS WERE NOT TORN OFF ON THE FIRST IMPACT
I CANNOT IMAGINE WHY THEY DIDN'T, PERHAPS THE SLOW LANDING SPEED PREVENTED
THIS AND WITH THE THREE CRASHES IT WOULD APPEAR AS IF THE AIRCRAFT
SKIPPED THE SEA LIKE A PEBBLE SKIPPING ACROSS THE TOP OF A POND.
ONCE TG579 HAD SLID BELOW THE WAVES, IT WAS TIME TO
TAKE STOCK, STEW TUCKER SUGGESTED THAT EVERYONE REMOVED THEIR SHOES
AND BOOTS TO PREVENT ANY MORE DINGHIES BEING DEFLATED FROM SHARP OBJECTS
LIKE EXPOSED NAILS OR STUDS OR BLAKEY'S, SOME SHOES WERE THROWN OVERBOARD
TO STOP CLUTTERING UP THE DINGHIES, THOSE THAT WERE RETAINED WERE
KEPT ON THE OWNERS LAP IN CASE WE HAD TO USE THESE FOR BALING OUT
WATER FROM THE DINGHIES. THERE WAS WATER IN ALL THE DINGHIES BUT IN
MINE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, IT WAS PROBABLY RESIDUAL WATER FROM THE
RAIN OR SEA WATER SPLASHING OVER THE HIGH WALLS OF THE LIFE RAFTS.
THE SHACKLETON WAS BY NOW AIRBORNE AND A SYSTEMATIC
SEARCH WAS STARTED AS RECALLED BY HARRY HEYWOOD "THE FLARES WERE
CLEAR POINTS OF LIGHT, NOT FUZZY AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IF FALLING
THROUGH CLOUD. THE SHACKLETON WAS RUNNING IN ON THE RUNWAY LINE FIRING
OFF SINGLE FLARES ONE AFTER ANOTHER, THEN AS HE PASSED OVER THE DITCHED
HASTINGS HE WOULD FIRE OFF A CLUSTER, PULL AWAY THEN REPEAT THE PROCEDURE."
FROM A PASSENGER POINT OF VIEW THIS APPEARED TO BE WHAT I RECALLED,
BUT THE HASTINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ITS WAY OR ON THE BOTTOM OF THE
SEA BED BY THIS TIME. SHACKLETON AIRCRAFT HAD SOPHISTICATED RADAR
ON BOARD AND CARRIED A CREW OF TEN, DESPITE THE FACT THAT NO METAL
OBJECT WAS ON THE SURFACE (TG579) THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE EASY
TO DETECT AS IF THE HASTINGS WERE A SUBMARINE, I AM NOT AWARE THAT
ANY ASDIC OR SONAR BUOYS OR OTHER SIMILAR EQUIPMENT WAS BEING USED
BY THE SHACKLETON. AT THIS POINT DON ELLIS THE FIRST NAVIGATOR ON
THE OFF DUTY SHACKLETON AT GAN FROM 205 SQUADRON CHANGI RECALLS THE
THE ATROCIOUS TROPICAL STORM AND ASKED THE OPERATIONS OFFICER WHAT
THE CREW OF THE HASTINGS SHOULD DO , THE OPS OFFICER REPLIED 'IF THEY
HAD ANY SENSE THEY WOULD RETURN TO KATUNAYAKE'.THE C.O. OF GAN, WING
COMMANDER EWAN THOMAS WAS IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WITH THE DUTY AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER. THE CREW OF THE HASTINGS DID A BLIND APPROACH
BEACON SYSTEM (BABS) APPROACH ALMOST RELIANT UPON INSTRUMENTS. DON
LATER RECALLS THE HASTINGS NAVIGATOR CALL "2 MILES" AND
THE CO-PILOT SAYING "YOU'RE DOWN TO 50'". AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
THEN HEARD NOTHING AND WONDERED IF THE AIRCRAFT HAD LOST RADIO CONTACT
AND SO THE RESCUE TENDER (FIRE ENGINE) WAS SENT TO TRAVEL THE LENGTH
OF THE RUNWAY TO SEE IF THE HASTINGS WAS ON THE GROUND. THE SEARCH
AND RESCUE SHACKLETON CAPTAINED BY JOHNNY ELIAS WAS DESPATCHED TO
THE END OF THE RUNWAY TO SHINE ITS LIGHTS LOOKING FOR THE AIRCRAFT,
JOHNNY THOUGHT THAT IF HE WAS TO DO THIS HE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GOT
AIRBORNE SO WITHIN 10 MINUTES THEY WERE ON THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE
AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND STARTED FIRING FLARES FROM 3 MILES TO 2 MILES
OUT FROM THE CRASH SCENE ON THE FIRST RUN AND THEN RUNNING IN FROM
2 MILES THEY SPOTTED WRECKAGE AND DINGHIES WHERE THE TWO AIR SEA RESCUE
LAUNCHES WERE DESPATCHED TO THE SCENE. DON'S AIRCRAFT TOOK TO THE
AIR THE NEXT MORNING LOOKING FOR WRECKAGE AND SAW A MAIN WHEEL AFLOAT,
THE LAUNCHES LATER COLLECTED THESE. DON ALSO RECALLS THAT HE TOOK
GEOFF ATHERTON BACK TO KATUNAYAKE IN HIS SHACKLETON AS GEOFF REFUSED
POINT BLANK TO FLY BACK IN A HASTINGS!
THE MORALE IN THE DINGHIES WAS VERY GOOD, THERE WAS
PLENTY OF SHOUTING AND SINGING, THE USUAL 'CHESTNUTS' OF 'WHY ARE
WE WAITING', 'SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME' ETC WERE ALL BEING SUNG,
THE FLARES WERE GETTING EVER CLOSER AND THAT WE SOMEHOW KNEW THAT
THE CHANCES OF RESCUE WERE EXTREMELY HIGH, SOME WAG SUGGESTED WHAT
WOULD HAPPEN IF ONE OF THE FLARES ENTERED THE DINGHY, HOW HE DIDN'T
GET FED TO THE SHARKS IS ANYONE'S GUESS! IT WAS APPARENT AFTER SOME
WHILE THAT THE SHACKLETON HAD FOUND US AS THE FLARES WERE FALLING
IN AN ARC SOME DISTANCE FROM THE DINGHIES AND THIS WAS TO GUIDE THE
TWO RESCUE LAUNCHES TO THE CRASH SITE.
WE COULD SEE SOME DISTANCE AWAY BRIGHT LIGHTS, THESE
WERE A MIXTURE OF THE GAN AIRFIELD LIGHTS AND WE EVENTUALLY SPOTTED
SEARCH LIGHTS SEEMINGLY LIKE A VERY LONG WAY AWAY, THESE WERE ONLY
VISIBLE AS WERE THE AIRFIELD LIGHTS WHEN WE WERE APPROACHING THE CREST
OF A WAVE. AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE DID NOT KNOW WHERE WE HAD DITCHED,
WE KNEW WE WERE TO THE EAST OF GAN AIRFIELD AND WOULD ESTIMATE AS
BEING BETWEEN ONE AND TWO MILES OUT WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL APRIL
2001 WAS THAT THIS AREA IS TREACHEROUS IN THAT IT IS KNOWN AS THE
GAN CHANNEL AND SEPARATES TWO ISLANDS WILLINGILI TO THE EAST AND GAN
ISLAND TO THE WEST THIS STRETCH OF WATER IS WHERE THE CALMER LAGOON
OF THE ADDU ATOLL MEETS THE INDIAN OCEAN WITH THE TIDAL WATERS RUNNING
VERY FAST AS RECALLED BY BRIAN BARKER , AT ABOUT EIGHT KNOTS.
BRIAN WAS ON PINNACE 1374 THE SMALLER OF THE TWO RESCUE
LAUNCHES, I CANNOT RECALL SEEING THIS BOAT BUT BRIAN RECALLS PICKING
UP WING COMMANDER GEOFF ATHERTON AND ONE OTHER (THE FLIGHT ENGINEER?)
PLUS ANOTHER DINGHY LOAD WHO WE ASSUME TO BE THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS,
WE THINK THIS PINNACE ARRIVED BACK TO THE GAN JETTY AFTER THE LARGE
LAUNCH PICKED UP THE PASSENGERS AND I AM INFORMED BY STEW THAT THE
AQM WAS WITH THE PASSENGERS. THERE WAS MUCH REJOICING WHEN THE LARGER
LAUNCH WAS APPROACHING US, SHOUTING BY ALL, THE WAVING OF ARMS ALL
HELPED TO KEEP THE MORALE HIGH. THIS LAUNCH LOOKED HUGE IN COMPARISON
TO OUR DINGHIES AND AS IT GOT EVER NEARER THE SWELL LOOKED EVEN WORSE
AS THERE WAS A BACKWASH BETWEEN THE GROUP OF DINGHIES AND THE LAUNCH.
SCRAMBLING NETS WERE ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE LAUNCH AND IT WAS
WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY TO HOLD ON TO THE ROPE AND THEN PUT ONES FEET
ON THE ROPE, IF YOU'VE EVER CLIMBED A LADDER WITH SOFT SOLED SHOES
ON YOU CAN APPRECIATE OUR PLIGHT, RAGING SEAS, HUGE SWELL COVERED
IN FUEL AND OIL BUT I WAS IN GOOD HANDS AS ONE OF THE MARINE CRAFT
GUYS LITERALLY GRABBED THE BACK OF MY MAE WEST AND HAULED ME UP ON
DECK, WHERE DAVID RECALLS BEING PULLED ABOARD BY HIS HAIR! I WAS IMMEDIATELY
TAKEN BELOW DECK AND GIVEN A BLANKET AND TOWEL AND A MUG OF TEA WHICH
I DRANK AND IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT BACK UP AGAIN WITH A CONCOCTION OF
OTHER FLUIDS IN MY MOUTH. I STILL REMEMBER THOSE MATTRESSES WITH A
TICKING STRIPE COVER AND FEELING VERY MUCH THE WORSE FOR WEAR, PERHAPS
IT WAS PART EMOTION THAT BROUGHT THIS ON, I HAD NEVER SUFFERED FROM
TRAVEL SICKNESS BEFORE OR SINCE , THAT WAS AN EXCEPTION. STEW RECALLS
THE HULL OF THE LAUNCH SCRAPING THE CORAL, THIS MUST HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE
NEAR THE REEF AREA LATER AS OUR IMMEDIATE RESCUE WAS FROM DEEP WATER.
IT MUST BE MENTIONED HERE THAT A HEARTFELT THANK YOU MUST GO TO THE
OFFICER COMMANDING THE MARINE CRAFT SECTION FLIGHT LIEUTENANT BERNIE
SAUNDERS, HIS COXSWAIN DICKIE DENMAN FOR THE BRAVERY SHOWN THAT NIGHT
AND THE CREWS OF THOSE TWO MOTOR LAUNCHES WHO SET SAIL IN THE WORST
POSSIBLE WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILING AT THAT TIME AND IN CURRENTS
SO STRONG THAT UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THEY WOULD NOT VENTURE OUT
THROUGH THE REEF AREA EXCEPTING IN DIRE EMERGENCIES, I UNDERSTAND
THAT A COMMENDATION WAS AWARDED TO BERNIE SAUNDERS THAT NIGHT AND
AGAIN, JUST LIKE GEOFF ATHERTON'S AWARD, RICHLY DESERVED.
IT IS UNDERSTOOD BY VARIOUS PARTIES THAT WE WERE IN
THE DINGHIES FOR 1 1/2 HOURS, I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT TO BE
CORRECT, OTHERS THINK LONGER, CERTAINLY THE PINNACE ARRIVED AFTER
THE LARGE LAUNCH AND THAT IT IS THOUGHT THE CREW AND THOSE OTHER TWO
ADRIFT ARRIVED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. ROGER STEVENS RECALLS HE GAVE
ASSISTANCE AT THE JETTY BY LIGHTING UP THE AREA WITH THE FIRE ENGINE
LIGHTS AND RECALLS THE FIRST PERSON HE HAD HELPED ASHORE WAS A CORPORAL
BILL GRUNDY WHO HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SERVED WITH AT RAF BALLYKELLY, IT
IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ANOTHER SURVIVOR ROGER HELPED ASHORE
WAS A SAILOR WHOSE COMMENTS WERE "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE
FLOWN WITH THE RAF AND THEY TRIED TO DROWN ME, SOMETHING THAT THE
NAVY NEVER DID !"
JOHN BAWDEN WHO WORKED IN GAN AIR TRAFFIC RECALLS
THAT WE WERE TAKEN TO THE STATION SICK QUARTERS AND APART FROM ONE
OR TWO THAT HAD INGESTED FUEL AND OIL THAT NO OTHER SERIOUS INJURIES
WERE SUSTAINED. JOHN TRAVELLED BACK TO LYNEHAM ON 'THE WHITE KNUCKLE
BRITANNIA RIDE' THE NEXT DAY AT KARACHI, I REALLY DO NOT RECALL COMING
OFF THE LAUNCH AND HOW I GOT TO SICK QUARTERS (WITHOUT ANY SHOES ON),
BUT I DO RECALL BEING MEDICALLY EXAMINED, OTHERS SAY THEY WEREN'T
AND BEING PASSED FIT TO FLY TO THE UK THE NEXT DAY. I IMAGINE THAT
I WAS GIVEN FRESH KD CLOTHING THAT NIGHT AT GAN BUT AGAIN I CAN'T
REMEMBER, I DO REMEMBER NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP. IT WAS IN STATION
SICK QUARTERS THAT THE CREW WERE BROUGHT IN AND THERE WAS MUCH ANIMOSITY
FROM THE PASSENGERS TOWARDS THE PILOT, IN THE FORM OF VERBAL ABUSE
AND FINGER WAGGING, I REALLY CANNOT REMEMBER THIS HAPPENING BUT I
CAN ACCEPT WHY IT DID OCCUR.
I AM ALSO INFORMED THAT WITH WHAT FEW RUPEES WE HAD LEFT BETWEEN US
THAT WE CLUBBED TOGETHER AND BOUGHT THE SHACKLETON RESCUE CREW A BOTTLE
OF WHISKEY TO SHARE AMONG HIS CREW AND AS A THANK YOU., AGAIN WITHOUT
THEIR ASSISTANCE WHO KNOWS WHAT THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH 1960 I RECALL
QUEUING FOR SOME EMERGENCY PAY AS ALL MY LEAVE MONEY WAS IN MY CAMERA
BAG, £35=0=0 PAID IN 10/= NOTES AT RAF KATUNAYAKE, A KING'S
RANSOM IN THOSE DAYS (ABOUT £700-800 POUNDS TODAY), THE REASON
WE WERE ALL PAID IN BROWN 10/= NOTES WAS THAT PAY ACCOUNTS HAD RUN
OUT OF WHITE FIVERS AND BLUE POUND NOTES!
ALL OF THAT MONEY AND MY PERSONAL POSSESSIONS WERE LOST IN THAT ACCIDENT,
THE ONLY THING THAT I WAS ABLE TO SALVAGE WAS MY OMEGA SEAMASTER WATCH
WHICH WAS ON MY WRIST. WHEN I ASKED THE MARINE CRAFT BOYS WHAT EFFECTS
WERE FOUND, THEY SAID NOTHING APART FROM THE WHEELS OF THE HASTINGS,
I AM SURE IT WAS THEY THAT TOLD ME THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUNK TO A
DEPTH OF OVER 1000 FATHOMS WHILST DAVID BLOOMFIELD WAS TOLD THIS DEPTH
BY A MEMBER OF THE SHACKLETON CREW, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT
DEPTH IT ENDED UP IN WE LOST EVERYTHING. ALL FOUR PASSENGERS SAY THEY
LOST EVERYTHING INCLUDING LEAVE PAY AND STEW TUCKERS DEEP SEA BOX
WAS ON BOARD THE HASTINGS GIVING A NEW MEANING TO THE TERM DEEP SEA
BOX!
I FEEL REMARKABLY LUCKY THAT THE AIRCRAFT STAYED AFLOAT
AND DIDN'T BREAK UP ON IMPACT AND THAT THE INJURIES SUSTAINED WERE
OF A MINOR NATURE TO ALL. I AM ALSO FORTUNATE THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WAS ABOUT TO UNFOLD AND THAT THE PILOT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS ABOUT
TO HAPPEN TO HIS AIRCRAFT, IF EITHER OF THE ABOVE WAS KNOWN THEN I
AM SURE THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AS AN ENGINE MECHANIC I HAD NO PARTICULAR LOVE AFFAIR FOR A HASTINGS
AIRCRAFT, THEY WERE REASONABLY EASY TO SERVICE AND QUITE RELIABLE
AS PISTON ENGINED AIRCRAFT BUT TOOK SOME TIME TO 'TURN AROUND'. HAVING
SAID THAT THE DESIGN TEAM OF A HANDLEY PAGE HASTINGS DESIGNED PERHAPS
THE BEST AND MOST DURABLE NON FLYING BOAT AIRCRAFT THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
TOOK DELIVERY OF AS ANOTHER HASTINGS CRASHED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
OFF CASTEL BENITO AIRFIELD AND ENDED UP FLOATING FOR SOME TIME FOR
ALL ON BOARD TO MAKE THEIR ESCAPE.
CREDIT MUST GO TO ALL THOSE THAT TOOK PART IN THE
RESCUE, THEY WERE ALL HEROES, ON THE NIGHT THEY DID THERE DUTY THAT
THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO IN APPALLING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND NOT KNOWING
WHETHER THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS OR BODIES OR EVEN NOTHING
IF THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUNK WITHOUT TRACE, AND IT IS TO THESE PEOPLE
THAT I SAY A MIGHTY BIG THANK YOU!
THE HISTORY OF TG579 READS THUS:
CONTRACTOR HANDLEY PAGE LTD, CRICKLEWOOD, CONTRACT NUMBER 4186, ENGINES
INSTALLED 4 BRISTOL HERCULES 101 AIR COOLED RADIAL ENGINES.
TYPE HASTINGS C1 RAF NUMBER TG579
12/04/1949 CONTRACT COMPLETED
13/04/1949 TO 241 OPERATIONAL CONVERSION UNIT (OCU)
08/10/1949 TO LYNEHAM
18/10/1951 HANDLEY PAGE FOR MODIFICATIONS UNTIL 01/11/1951 AND RETURNED
TO LYNEHAM ON THAT DAY
05/02/1953 TRANSFERRED TO RAF TRANSPORT COMMAND AIR SUPPORT FLIGHT
(ASF)
02/03(?)/1955 TO 29 MAINTENANCE UNIT
08/03/1956 TO 242 OCU
18/08/1956 TO ROS/60 MU
23/08/1956 EX ROS
03/06/1957 20 MU
06/12/1957 FREE LOAN FOR ONE MONTH
07/01/1958 20 MU
20/01/1958 TRANSFERRED TO 48 SQUADRON FEAF (CHANGI)
01/03/1960 FLYING ACCIDENT CATEGORY 5
08/03/1960 STRUCK OFF CHARGE
TG579 FINALLY HAD HERCULES 216 ENGINES ADDED SOMETIME IN ITS LIFE
A.M. FORM 78 DOES NOT RECORD THE DATE.
THE OFFICIAL ACCIDENT REPORT AS PROVIDED BY THE AIR HISTORIC BRANCH
AT RAF BENTLEY PRIORY WAS HAND WRITTEN AND THIS HAS BEEN DECIPHERED
BY SQUADRON LEADER NEIL JONES AND WARRANT OFFICER (THEN CORPORAL AT
GAN) HARRY HEYWOOD, THE OFFICIAL BOARD OF INQUIRY WAS HELD AT HQ FEAF
FAIRY POINT CHANGI, SINGAPORE, DATE UNKNOWN BUT HELD BEFORE MAY 1960.
IT IS WITH MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE PAINSTAKINGLY
SHOWN AN INTEREST FOR MY SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH, YOU HAVE PROVIDED,
IN MANY CASES, THE MISSING PARTS OF THE JIGSAW.
SINCE THE NIGHT OF THIS ACCIDENT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED
TO KNOW WHY OUR LIVES WERE IN SUCH DANGER, I ALWAYS HAD A SNEAKING
SUSPICION THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS AND I COULDN'T GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF IT, I (AND DAVID BLOOMFIELD TOO )HAD STROVE TO ASK QUESTIONS TO
THE VARIOUS AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE THEN AIR MINISTRY AND LATER MINISTRY
OF DEFENCE AND NOTHING WAS FORTHCOMING. I BASICALLY KEPT THIS 'LITTLE
EPISODE' TO MYSELF AND ONLY MY WIFE AND CLOSEST FRIENDS KNEW THE 'BARE
BONES' OF THAT NIGHT, I KEPT THESE THOUGHTS TO MYSELF FOR OVER 40
YEARS, HAVING MANY FLASHBACKS AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, SWEATS AND NERVOUS
TENSION. (I NOW KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE!) I HAD NO AMBITION
OF FURTHERING MY CAREER IN THE WAY OF PROMOTION TO THE NON COMMISSIONED
RANKING SYSTEM I STAYED A JUNIOR TECHNICIAN ENGINE FITTER UNTIL MY
DISCHARGE. MY DIARIES FROM 1962 TO 1969 SHOW MY INTENSE HATRED FOR
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND RECORD ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS REQUESTS ON GENERAL
APPLICATION FORMS TO OBTAIN A DISCHARGE, BUT THE ONLY WAY OUT WAS
BY PURCHASING MY CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT BACK FROM THE AIR MINISTRY
AND ON EACH OCCASION AMOUNTED TO £200 WHICH I COULD NOT AFFORD,
SO I 'RODE OUT' MY TWELVE YEARS BEGRUDGINGLY. I ENJOYED MY WORK AT
'THE SHARP END' ENORMOUSLY, THE COMRADESHIP OF THE LOWER RANKS APPEALED
TO ME MORE THAN THE HIGHER RANKS, APART FROM SOME EXCEPTIONS THERE
WAS ALWAYS AN AIR OF ALOOFNESS PREVALENT, HOWEVER I MET THIS LESS
WHEN IN FIGHTER COMMAND.
MY QUEST WAS ANSWERED IN MARCH 2001, ALMOST EXACTLY
41 YEARS ON, TO GET TO THE TRUTH, I FIRSTLY BOUGHT MYSELF A COMPUTER
IN JANUARY 2001 AND SURPRISINGLY IT DID NOT TAKE ME LONG TO GET USED
TO IT. I 'SURFED THE NET' DAY AND NIGHT FOR ADDRESSES AND EYE WITNESSES
AND ALL OF THIS WAS READILY AVAILABLE, I PLACED TWO SEARCHES ON CHANNEL
4'S 'SERVICE PALS' PAGES IN JANUARY AND MARCH FOR EYE WITNESSES AND
WAS WELL PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE AND EVEN PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T INVOLVED
KNEW SOMEONE THAT WAS! THE INFORMATION I ASKED FROM OFFICIAL SOURCES
WAS SLOW IN COMING AND IN SOME INSTANCES NON EXISTENT, THE RECORDS
OFFICE OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AT RAF INNSWORTH WERE APOLOGETIC REGARDING
THE LACK OF INFORMATION BUT DID PROVIDE ME WITH MY SERVICE RECORD
AND THIS INFORMATION WAS SCANT TO SAY THE LEAST, I THEREFORE WENT
BACK TO THE MoD IN WHITEHALL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ALSO FOR
A COPY OF MY MEDICAL RECORDS. I AGAIN HAD A REPLY FROM THE PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT AGENCY (ON BEHALF OF THE RAF) AT INNSWORTH AND THEIR CHIEF
SECRETARY INFORMS ME THAT ALL AIRMENS DETAILED RECORD OF SERVICE IS
DESTROYED AFTER 6 YEARS OF END OF ENGAGEMENT (IN MY CASE 14/07/75)
AND THAT BOARD OF INQUIRY REPORTS ARE DESTROYED AFTER 20 YEARS AFTER
THE INQUIRY WAS HELD (IN THIS CASE SOMETIME IN 1980) . CERTAIN CONFIDENTIAL
MILITARY DOCUMENTS ARE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE AT KEW
AFTER 30 YEARS (THIS IS GENERALLY KNOWN AS THE 30 YEAR RULE), HARRY
HEYWOOD'S COUSIN DOREEN DID SOME RESEARCH HERE AND AGAIN THE INFORMATION
WAS VERY SCANT. SO TO SUMMARISE IF ANYONE TRIES TO GET TO THE TRUTH
ON ANY GOVERNMENT CONFIDENTIAL MATTER VIA 'OPEN GOVERNMENT' POLICY
THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES PUT IN YOUR WAY AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU
ARE ABOUT TO CLEAR THE FINAL HURDLE, YOU FIND THAT MOST OF THAT INFORMATION
HAS GONE MISSING OR IS NONE EXISTENT . CURRENTLY THE DEPARTMENT OF
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEOFFREY HOON
MP HAS HAD A LETTER FROM ME ON THIS VERY SUBJECT AND I AM AWAITING
HIS REPLY! I SUPPOSE THAT WAITING 30 YEARS, MEANS THAT EVERYONE'S
MEMORY RECEDES WITH TIME , I CAN ASSURE YOU IT DOESN'T, IF YOU ARE
DETERMINED THEN THE 'TRUTH IS OUT THERE' GO AND GET IT. I NOW HAVE
OVER 200 DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT AS AT 30/06/2001 BEFORE
12/01/2001 I HAD NONE, I WAS MERELY A PASSENGER ON A TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT
OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE THAT CRASHED INTO THE SEA FOR REASONS NOT KNOWN.
I HAVE SINCE FOUND THREE OTHER PASSENGERS FROM THAT
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT VIA A PLEA BY THE DAILY MAIL 'MISSING AND FOUND'
COLUMN AND THEIR STORIES ARE ALSO VERY INTERESTING AND THAT THERE
IS SOME BITTERNESS RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT FROM THESE GUYS. THE
AUTHORITIES FOUND THAT THIS COULD BE A RATHER EMBARRASSING INCIDENT
TO THE SQUEAKY CLEAN IMAGE OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, GET RID OF THESE
GUYS, TELL THEM NOTHING AND THEY WILL FORGET ALL ABOUT IT! THEY DIDN'T
BARGAIN FOR MYSELF DID THEY? TO NOT COMPENSATE US THAT NIGHT FOR THE
LOSS OF OUR PAY (AN ENTITLEMENT), TO ANY RECOMPENSE FOR THE LOSS OF
THEIR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS (NO ONE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO BE INSURED
FOR SUCH AN ACCIDENT AND WAS WILLING TO CARRY MY PERSONAL POSSESSIONS
AT NO CHARGE). KD DRESS WAS WORN THAT NIGHT BY ALL ON BOARD AND 'WHITES'
BY THE SAILORS NOW IF WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TOA SWIM THE LAST TWO
MILES SHOULD NOT SWIMMING TRUNKS BE THE DRESS OF THE DAY? WHY WERE
ILL FITTING UNIFORMS ISSUED AT NICOSIA, AND WHY WERE THE SURVIVORS
PUT UP IN TENTS IN FREEZING CONDITIONS, WHY WERE WE ALL WEARING TOWELS
AROUND OUR NECKS (BECAUSE THE RAF DID NOT SUPPLY FRONT AND BACK COLLAR
STUDS) AND WHEN A SAILOR AS ONE OF THE SURVIVORS SPORTING A BEARD
IN RAF UNIFORM WITH NO HAT WAS ASKED BY A 'REDCAP' ARMY POLICEMAN
AT SWINDON STATION 'AND WHOSE F*****G ARMY ARE YOU IN?' (AS RECALLED
BY S.A.C. BRIAN WILMER A PASSENGER WITH US ON THE BRITANNIA),THE WHOLE
EPISODE BEGGARS BELIEF, OUR QUICK EXIT THROUGH CUSTOMS AND IN DAVID
BLOOMFIELD'S CASE WHEN HE ARRIVED AT RAF WADDINGTON GUARDROOM TO REPORT
TO HIS NEW UNIT WAS CONFRONTED BY A SENIOR N.C.O. AS TO WHY HE WAS
WEARING CIVILIAN CLOTHING AND NOT UNIFORM, AND LATER HAD TO BUY HIS
FULL UNIFORM FOR £35 FOR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WHICH WAS NOT
HIS FAULT! THIS IS THE SQUEAKY CLEAN IMAGE OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE.
THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS STILL TO BE ANSWERED, THE
'NITTY GRITTY' QUESTION WHY DID IT HAPPEN HAS BEEN ANSWERED AND WE
KNOW THAT NEGLIGENCE BY PILOT ERROR WAS THE CAUSE AND AS YET STILL
TO BE ADDRESSED.
MY INTENTIONS TO FLY AGAIN AFTER I LEFT THE SERVICE
OF THE R..A.F. HAS NEVER BEEN FULFILLED, I DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE
TO TAKE TO THE AIR AGAIN, TWICE BITTEN IS ENOUGH BECAUSE WITHIN 24
HOURS OF HASTINGS TG579 CRASHING INTO THE SEA AT GAN WE TOOK THE 'WHITE
KNUCKLE RIDE' ON THE 2ND MARCH 1960 AT KARACHI VIA A BRITANNIA XL638
'SIRIUS', WE LANDED AT KARACHI, REFUELLED, TOOK OFF WHEN WE HAD ANOTHER
EMERGENCY IN AS MUCH THAT A NOSE WHEEL ACTUATOR FAILED TO OPERATE
RESULTING IN 'A NOSE WHEEL RED', AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT NO PASSENGERS
WERE INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS SAT BY A WINDOW AND COULD SEE
WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SMOKE COMING FROM NUMBER THREE ENGINE, I STOOD
UP IN PANIC AND CALLED THE CABIN STAFF OVER (A SERGEANT) WHEN ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY A MEMBER OF THE CREW (CAPTAIN?) CAME OVER THE TANNOY SYSTEM
TO SAY THAT WHAT WE WERE SEEING WAS FUEL BEING JETTISONED AND WHAT
LOOKED LIKE SMOKE WAS IN FACT ATOMISED FUEL. TERROR WENT THROUGH MY
BODY FOR ONE HOUR AND TEN MINUTES WHILST WE CIRCLED DUMPING FUEL AND
AIR TRAFFIC CHECKING THE UNDERCARRIAGE NOSE WHEEL WAS DOWN, I CANNOT
BEGIN TO EXPLAIN THE FEAR THAT I AND OTHER SURVIVORS ENCOUNTERED,
THIS SPREAD TO OTHER PASSENGERS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE HASTINGS INCIDENT.
TWO OTHERS ON THE BRITANNIA WERE JOHN BAWDEN AND BRIAN WILMER WHO
HAVE MADE CONTACT AND RECALL THE WHITE FACES AND KNUCKLES OF THOSE
SURVIVORS AND HOW THE EMERGENCY FIRE CREWS AND AMBULANCES LINED THE
RUNWAY AND CHASED AFTER US WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN SAFELY! I SWEAR THAT
IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN A PARACHUTE AT THAT TIME I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS
EASIER ROUTE OF ESCAPE.........................................
Keeping in Touch
RECENT LOSSES
Arthur Mitchell died on 11th Dec 2001 of stomach cancer
at Bath Hospital. The burial took place at St Mary's Church, Calne
on 21st Dec. He was previous Secretary to 24 Sqn Association, treasurer
of the Britannia Association, Chief Flt Eng for Monach Airlines. A
good story teller and ex Halton brat.
Arthur Mitchell's funeral was attended by the Standards
from the RAFA and the Royal British Legion. Many local retired aircrew
were present, including reps from 24 Sqn ,The Aircrew Assn, Halton,
Lyneham, Calne Businesses, Monarch Airways. There was a memorial service
in the New Year.
R W A Hughes Sqn Ldr RAF Retired (Hughie) RAF No. 577955
It is with considerable regret that I have to inform you that Hughie
died on 20 December 2001 from stomach cancer. He bore his illness
with great fortitude and dignity and is really missed by Jo, Robert,
Wendy and David. His daughter, Wendy, wrote to say "Dad was a
Navigator with 24 Squadron at RAF Colerne from either 1961 or '62
to 1967, first flying Hastings, then Hercules. We lived at 6 Beech
Road, North Colerne.
For those friends of Dad who may be interested Mum,
Jo, has early stages of dementia and is at St. Stephen's Care Home
in Worcester where she seems very happy, although still asks after
Dad at times. Dad retired from the RAF in 1977, and had a very successful
career after that, finally retiring at age 74 to look after Mum, when
he then became Field Officer for both the Royal British Legion and
SSAFA.
He was a highly intelligent man with an acerbic wit
which he retained until the end. He will certainly be a difficult
act to follow". Regards Wendy Anwyl Hughes
Peter McCann was a Sqn Ldr pilot on 24 before retiring to work as
Citizens Advice Bureau Advisor in Hampshire. Peter was on the Squadron
from 1959 to 1961 stationed at Colerne and flew Hastings before being
discharged in Feb 79, We were informed he died in November 2000 by
his wife Christine who visited 24 Squadron and asked the padre at
RAF Lyneham to conduct the Service of Thanksgiving.
Frank Dewell was a pilot with the Squadron from 1944 to 1947 flying
Yorks out of Bassingbourn and Lyneham before eventually retiring with
the rank of Wing Commander. His son Len informed us that Frank passed
away on 15th March 2002.
Flt Lt Raimund Puda passed away on 17th March 2002. Raimund was a
Brigadier General in the Czech Air Force and was a remarkable and
unique aviator. His career included being involved with the Battle
of Britain, flying in the French air Force and a Captain on Czech
Airlines, a career that spanned 24 years and included over 80 aircraft
types.
A military service and interment took place on May
5th at the Brookwood Military Cemetery attended by the Czech Ambassador
and Air Chief Marshall Sir Foxley Norriss, Chairman of the Battle
of Britain Association. Raimund will lie next to Eddie Precht, the
pilot on the General Sikorsky Liberator which crashed at Gibraltar.
Raimund was with 24 Squadron at Hendon from 1943 to 1945 and held
the Croix de Guerre.
Notification of his death was sent in by his dearest and closest
friend Edith Thomas who nursed him to the end. He was also known to
Jock Hannah of the Association.
Pilot who flew 15 types of aircraft leaves RAF
RAF pilot Raymond Evans has left Lyneham after more
than four decades of dedicated service. In his time, Flt Lt Evans
has flown 15 different aircraft during 12,000 hours of flying time.
He has served in both the Falklands and Gulf Wars,
as well as the Bosnia conflict. He joined the RAF a& an aircraft
apprentice in 1959 and applied for aircrew 1 training -after five
years of engineering work. Later he applied for a commission as an
engineering officer, but was offered, and jumped at, the chance to
become a pilot. As the oldest trainee pilot at the time, Flt Lt Evans
completed his course in record time. He arrived at Lyneham in 1975,
having trained to fly the Hercules and the second half of his career
proved just as eventful as the first.
He helped rescue British personnel from Iran after the collapse of
the Shah's regime to Nepal, took part in the air bridge during the
Falklands war in 1982, and completed two tours of duty away from Lyneham.
On his return to Lyneham he became the station's unit
test pilot, carrying out trials on new pieces of equipment, including
the chaff and flare defensive aids. Finally he returned to fly with
24 Squadron, before being discharged from the RAF after 42 years.
Lyneham spokesman Flt Lt Tom Draper said: We wish him a long and
healthy retirement and all the best for the future."
From Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, Jan 2002
DUXFORD'S YORK FUSELAGE COMPLETED
Duxford Aviation Society's York is well on the way to completion
of its mammoth restoration.
THE RESTORATION of the fuselage of Avro York G-AM
at Duxford, Cambs, has recently been completed after some 14 years
of work and has been outshopped into the colours of Dan-Air. The aircraft
is due to move into Hangar during May and is promised a secure future
inside, as the awarding of its Lottery Grant was on condition that
the airframe must remain under cover.
G-ANTWs paintwork has taken two years to complete,
needing six coats which were all applied by hand. Two of the engines
have been restored, with the others and the wings to be completed
in due course. It is expected that it will take another four years
to finish the work. The job done so far has resulted in a pristine
finish which former production line workers have described as: "Better
than when it left the factory".
Fly Past 11 June 2001
I am looking for information on the usage of the Grumman
Goose with No. 24 Squadron. I believe a Goose called MV993 was operated
by No. 24, but beyond that don't know a whole lot. Do you have any
other information?
If you have any information, contact Derek Linder at GRUMMANGOOSE.COM
or reply to the Editor.
If anyone has any information surrounding the crash
of No24 Squadron Wellington on the afternoon of 3 December 1943 at
Standon, Herts, I would be very grateful to hear from them. The pilot
of the aircraft was F/O R G Warmington, who was killed along with
the rest of the crew, with the exception of two ground crew, who were
on board at the time. I understand that the aircraft was on a flight
test, when it suffered engine trouble, and crashed into a wood near
the village of Standon. I am about to investigate the crash site,
and any further background information would be very welcome.
David Ashley
30 Lenmore Avenue
Grays, Essex
RM17 5NZ
email: davidashley@blueyonder.co.uk
Tel: 01375 407740
Sqn. Leader J.R. Ramsden 24 Squadron (54430) R.A.F.
I wonder if you would please help me with any information
regarding Ramsden. Normal research is impossible as WW2 records are
not yet available at the P.R.O. Ramsden's group includes an A.F.C.
(L.G. 9/6/1949) and this, plus surprisingly his other medals are all
individually named. The L.G. listing doesn't give any details of why
the decoration was awarded and any information you may be able to
provide would be gratefully received.
So writes in Alun Mummery, once again any leads via the Editor.
Snippets
A few books that may be of interest to readers spotted during the
year.
Aircraft Illustrated have done what they call an "Extra"
on "Hawker - Pioner of Air fighting by Charles Bowyer, phone
# 01932 26622 for details or contact Aircraft Illustrated by e-mail
at richard@tgscott.co.uk
They say all of us have one book in us and our new Chairman, Keith
Chapman is no exception. Keith's book is titled "Military air
transport Operations" and is published by Brassey in the Air
Power Series ISBN is 0-08-034749-5.
John Mitchell who is the author of Nav's Diary informs us that "Hendon
Aerodrome - A history" by David Oliver contains a wealth of information
on Squadron history and includes a piece on the Flamingo crash mentioned
by Jock Hannah. It is published by Air Life circa 1994.
Memory Banks 2
Dear Editor
24 Squadron Association Magazine.
I have enjoyed greatly the Summer Issue No 8 of the above
and correspondents articles. That of Jock Hannah particularly grabbed
my attention as I was on the Sqn from 6 June 1941 until posted non-effective
in early October 1942 so have a personal interest in sonic of its contents.
His reference to W.0 Bill Laver was particularly of interest as I new
he had been killed in a crash but did not know the circumstances. When
I joined the Squadron, Bill was a F/Sgt and in charge of both the ground
servicing wireless mechanics and the flying wireless ops.
At this tune we had a motley of aircraft including DH
Dominie's DH Flamingos and Lockheed Electras these being the operational
Pipes amongst a number of others that never left a hangar. Expansion took
place at this tune and Lockheed Hudsons began to arrive and the strength
of the ground wirless mechanics was increased from 2-Aircraftsman Benson
and myself to 4 initially with the arrival of A/C's Eric Meredith and
Tom Weekes but by October the strength was up to 6 actual wireless- operator
mechanics and wireless mechanics, Benson and I being the former. We were
also strengthened by-the arrival of wireless. operators awaiting their
fluffier aircrew training. It was in September 1941 or there about that
the servicing personnel moved into workshops and alongside the railway
embankment and W.O. Stride and Sgt Sharp (both ex apprentices) took us
over. I had left the Squadron before Bill Lavers misfortune but I remember
him as a very nice quietly spoken chap, very much liked.
Jock also mentions Robbie Robson who was one of the straight
wireless ops with the squadron when I arrived. We met by chance at Prestwick
in October 1944. By this time I was also flying having taken an air gunnery
course a few months after returning from my internment in Spanish Morocco.
We were in the Terminal at Prestwick having just delivered a Liberator
from Dorval via Goose Bay prior to picking up another and flying on to
S.E.A.C. Regarding the Flamingo aircraft there were five on Squadron in
June '41 and as I recall it the reg nos. were R2763, R2764, R2765 R2766
and R731? of these R2766 was fitted out for V.I.P use with luxurious swivel
am chairs. The odd one out R731? never flew to my knowledge.
This brings me to the photograph on page 23, this of course
is not a DH Flamingo but a DH Dragonfly, a larger version of the Dominie.
As I remember one of these arrived early in 1942. Some members may also
remember the four engined Fokker 111 airliner which arrived around this
time and of course the Airspeed Oxford Ambulances.' I mentioned Eric Meredith
above and have to tell you that he passed away early this year. He was
not an Association member but sonic may remember him as Cpl. Meredith
who was with the squadron from Sept 41 to late 43 I think having earlier
served as a wireless mechanic servicing Hurricanes at sea on freighters
in the early Battles of the Atlantic.
We had kept in touch and in fact my wife and I looked
him up in May last year and he was somewhat ailing then. Unfortunately
I shall be unable to attend the reunion activities again this year but
wish you all a successful and happy occasion and hope this trip down memory
lane will be of some interest.
Stanley A Wheeler
Diary of a Navigator Pt 5
John Mitchell’s account of his VIP flying with the Prime
Minister, Winston Churchill in 1943 continues in this fith instalment.
SOME LESSONS LEARNED
It quickly became clear to us that apart from getting from A to B on
time and in comfort, the Prime Minister expected a high standard of
catering wherever we were. Once out of the UK we should have to rely
on a local Commander-in-Chief s Residence for top-class re-victualling.
Fresh, clean water was of course a must: we could only carry a limited
quantity. The emptying and cleaning of three lavatory cans (of basic
Bomber Command standard, I might say, except for the PM's to which the
inventor of the Elsan had fitted a flushing pump which could only re-circulate
the contents but little else) was a problem - easy enough on an RAF
staging post, but elsewhere ............
The RAF even at home base was ill-equipped to store
the cutlery and china, the linen and blankets clean and dry - in a Spitfire
hangar. So, we resorted to the airing cupboards etc of the Northolt
Officers' Mess. In these early days, too, a 2,000 gallon petrol bowser
had to be specially despatched from Hendon for our use, for Spitfires
did not need fuel in that quantity. Gradually these problems were overcome
and their solution became routine. But the provision of food, in rationed
UK, was to remain a problem and its solution overseas was often unorthodox,
but our provisions usually satisfied the Owner. Drink - well, the NAAFI
could supply whisky and gin but more exotic drinks and favourite wines
had to be found from No 10's resources.
The galley of the York when she was first delivered
had a 'hay box', a keep-warm apparatus, which assumed that we would
always load pre-cooked meals at base. Whilst the design genius who installed
this device might have foreseen of modem day tourist class airline catering,
the RAF had no means to provide such rations, and we quickly saw that
the PM would never have accepted such restricted catering, even if it
had worked on the maiden voyage.
Thus as soon as the aircraft returned to base after
HM's flight, urgent modifications were needed to the galley. A grill
of some sort was essential: fast heaters were needed for hot drinks:
a toaster was a'must'. Alterations were needed to improve the crew accommodation
in the forward cabin and more stowage was needed for my navigation gear,
for the wireless operator's requirements and for the flight engineer's
tools and spares. Another big modification needed was the removal of
a heavy wooden conference table from the main saloon and its replacement
by a much lighter tubular aluminium folding table. This would make a
big weight saving in furnishings.
So it came about in mid July 1943 that the aircraft was returned to
Messrs A V Roe at Woodford (Manchester) for a month while essential
modifications were carried out.
In technical respects we were very fortunate to find
two friends, experts in their particular field of civil aviation who
had hitherto been ignored by the Ministry of Aircraft Production and
the bomber design teams in Manchester. They were GEC's Aviation Division
Manager, Frank Buckle, who came up trumps with galley equipment made
from RAF-provided raw material (eg sheet aluminium), and Mr Lew Rumbold
of Cricklewood who seemed to be the only manufacturer who could make
lightweight aircraft furnishings. (Both were to play a big part in the
furnishing of the interior of the Skymaster for Mr Churchill's later
use in the autumn of 1944.)
Another good friend was the Senior Rolls Royce Liaison
Officer to the RAF (Mr Bill Lappin) who was on hand to learn of the
behaviour of the Merlin engines in their transport role for the first
time. Information was needed by the firm for the post-war sale of Rolls
Royce engines in civil aircraft and, of course, to maintain the reputation
of the firm in the eyes of the Prime Minister. From then on we were
to have a permanent Rolls Royce representative available at Northolt.
At the front end of the aircraft it was soon obvious
that the two bunks on the starboard side in the forward cabin would
have to be sacrificed to provide accommodation for the flight engineer,
Jack Payne. Further space was needed for the crew's accoutrements, for
we were likely to be 'en route' for several days at a time between major
bases. For navigation alone, 1 needed to carry a quantity of maps and
charts as well as ephemeral data in various Navigation Tables, etc.
Thus the forward cabin was to be used for the crew, except when we were
obliged to provide a seat for the detective. The aircraft was flown
back to us at Northolt in the first week of August, with its galley
re-designed and other modifications incorporated. We now included a
Sergeant Chef in the crew and a Steward, both found from the RAF Officers'
Mess at Hendon. Corporal Shepherd, the first steward who was really
the CO's batman, was retired to his normal duties. With the assistance
of the PM's valet, Sawyers, we now had a formidable 'cabin staff.
So much for the general problems of operating an airborne
private yacht in wartime on overseas journeys involving absences from
home base of up to three to four weeks at a time. These had never been
encountered on the pre-war Empire air routes. They landed their slow
but luxurious aircraft each night, the passengers slept in hotels or
rest houses, and the aircraft was re-victualled from pre- stocked stores.
Neither had they been met by the King's Flight whose aircraft had never
travelled outside Western Europe. We had to learn as we went along,
and try and forecast what would be needed.
NAVIGATION AND ALLIED PROBLEMS IN WARTIME
In these days of automatic navigation (whether by inertial
or satellite systems), even the most hardened single- handed sailor
need only press the right button and look at his watch: hey presto!
And the course to steer to a pre-set destination is produced and most
likely cranked into the steering mechanism, so that there is no need
even to guide the vessel himself.
However, 50 years ago in my own earliest experience
of navigation, the RAF was still ingeniously adapting the time-honoured
methods of the marine navigator to the speed and environment of an aircraft.
When out of sight of land these methods were basically position-fixing
by astronomical observations and/or by primitive and scarce radio bearings,
plotted against the dead-reckoning of the aircraft's progress. The 'run'
between such position fixes gave a somewhat inaccurate measurement of
the track-made-good and speed, as well as a measure of the wind vector
over a past period or distance. Such out of date information was then
applied to the next sector of the flight to modify the forecast wind
vector. These methods may seem extraordinary to the modern practitioner,
but this was all we had - not exactly accurate, nor timely enough to
make good a landing approach in adverse weather conditions! One was
dependent on sight of the ground, both en route and on arrival, except
at very few sophisticated bases, where radar approach control or early
versions of beam approach systems existed.
All these navigation processes involved manual observation
of the stars (measurement of altitude) with a bubble sextant, the manual
manipulation of an airborne radio direction-finder, and the plotting
of the resultant position lines on the chart: little wonder that a full-time
navigator was carried in a long-range aircraft and that he needed space
on the flight deck for his chart table and equipment, with access to
the 'astro dome' from which he could observe the heavens. To complete
the navigation 'fit' of the York, an accurate, gyro-stabilised drift
and groundspeed meter was provided. US-made, it was a considerable improvement
on, and vastly more expensive than, the rather primitive RAF optical
drift-sights then available. Of course, such an instrument was again
dependent on flying within sight of the land or sea. It all seems so
primitive these days when such airliners as the Boeing 747-400 series
will be flown over very long distances with a flight-deck crew of just
two, with not a chart-table or a star in sight, and capable of an accurate
landing approach in almost blind conditions.
Learned papers have been written about the accuracy
of astro-navigation in an aircraft. Even with a post-war periscopic
sextant it would be difficult to claim a position fix by such methods
of better than ± 10 miles, and this after some 10-15 minutes
of post observational calculations - or 'sight reduction by spherical
trigonometry' - as the Admiralty Manual of Navigation quaintly puts
it. So navigation was a laborious task and not very precise except within
sight of the ground, or with radio navigation help towards the end of
a flight, when the accuracy could be progressively improved until the
airfield was in sight.
We were thus dependent very much on a view of the stars,
or sometimes the sun and moon in certain daylight periods; ergo, night
flying was preferred, which in any case was essential for safety, at
least on entering or leaving the UK. In the later years of the war,
when we had installed both 'Gee' and 'Loran' - hyperbolic radio navigation
systems displayed on a CRT - navigation became very much easier. The
former was highly accurate over short ranges, the latter gave enormous
help over trans-oceanic distances. But these systems could only help
in the areas they covered - no such thing in the Middle East or Russia!
So we spent long night hours, preferably flying above
cloud but seldom above 8-10,000 feet when the Owner was travelling,
with oxygen masks almost glued to our faces. Jock Gallacher, our Wireless
Operator, was of great assistance to me, extracting radio bearings from
neutral, and sometimes enemy radio beacons when they could be exploited.
Our routing was designed to keep us out of range of
the Luftwaffe JU 88's based in Brittany, when departing from or re-entering
the UK. In the early days also, we kept away from the Iberian coastline:
long-range Focke- Wolf Condors were known to prey on unarmed transport
aircraft if they had any inkling of the victims' passage. Less fortunate
aircraft in transit to and from the UK with limited fuel reserves necessarily
had to skirt the coast and some fell foul of AA fire from armed fishing
boats.
With the primitive nature of our navigation, it will
not seem surprising that timing of an arrival was something of a problem.
I have already related how, on the occasion of the first Royal Flight
in 1943, our early arrival caused some embarrassment to the 'Meeters
and Greeters' at Northolt on our return from North Africa. Whilst we
were aware that we were ahead of time in sufficient time to make some
adjustment to our schedule, we were specifically forbidden by the Air
Equerry to slow down or otherwise lengthen the time HM need endure the
noise and discomfort of the flight. Due to enforced radio silence we
were unable to inform our base operations in sufficient time and we
arrived very much before we were expected.
All air navigation relies on knowledge of the wind component
over each section of the route, even today. Modem forecasting methods
provide fairly accurate information for the flight-planners of the air
routes, enabling them to feed the automatic systems. Even so, aircraft
do not always keep to time and Captains may address their passengers
with the welcome news that a more favourable wind has speeded up their
arrival, only to lose that time waiting for a landing turn. In wartime
there were few weather reporting stations overseas, although the coverage
improved as the Mediterranean area was cleared of Axis Forces. For long-range
flying out of the UK, these observations had to be sent home, in code,
and then digested and plotted on a weather chart before being re-issued
as a route forecast. Delays and gaps were inevitable; in these latitudes
the prevailing weather tends to come from the West, across the Atlantic
where weather observations were limited to reports from a few ships
and the occasional in-flight report. Theoretically, for flights to the
East, it should have been easier to provide accurate forecasting, but
Bomber Command was all too often the victim of failure. To the South
West and South it was very difficult to get it right.
Imagine the problem of the RAF war-time weather forecaster
in Cairo, being asked to provide a route forecast for a non-stop flight
to the UK taking some 15 hours, for the VIP passengers and crew to make
a decision on whether to go or not, some 24 hours ahead of the start
of the flight. Naturally, Mediterranean weather itself was relatively
easy to handle, but the local man would have to rely on signalled information
from the UK for estimates of the northern half of the flight and for
UK landing conditions. Guessing whether there would be morning fog at
Northolt, in the winter some 36 hours ahead, is really asking the impossible.
The best that could be done would be to suggest alternatives, if Northolt
were fogged-out, but this was something the PM hated - the idea of being
diverted to Prestwick or Leuchars with the prospect of 12 hours in the
train, when he could have another day in the sunshine! But it was the
Captain (sometimes with the Navigator) who received the blast when unwelcome
news had to be explained. Whilst the Captain's decision was deeply probed,
there was no question of attempting to pressurise him. Senior RAF officers
kept well away when such decisions were being made!
26 This depressing statement of the forecaster's problem
was partly overcome by self-help. That is, from in-flight calculation
of past wind components and visual observation of the weather around
us cloud formations, turbulence, outside air temperatures, etc. These
taken together could often give us some idea of the movement of weather
systems as they affected our route, perhaps meeting a weather front
sooner than forecasted or finding that a front that looked threatening
on the met chart had, in fact, died away. It was said that the 'winds
and the tides are on the side of the able navigator' - perhaps it applies
in the air, too.
To the joint problem of navigational accuracy and weather
forecasting is the closely related factor of the aircraft's range. With
full tanks the York had an approximate endurance of some 13 hours to
'dry tanks', operating at a take-off weight of 63,000 Ibs. I say 'approximately'
for inevitably fuel consumption is affected by the air temperature and
flight altitude chosen or compelled by circumstances, to fly. Because
of the extraordinary design of furnishings with which we were originally
encumbered, including a solid conference room table in veneered pear
wood (provided , we were told by a well-known Manchester departmental
store), we found on re-weighing the aircraft at Northolt in a 'ready-to-go'
condition, that we had virtually no pay-load to speak of when fuel tanks
were full! The Captain applied immediately for technical permission
to raise the take-off weight to 65,000 Ibs, as for operational Lancaster
of the time, which had the same engines. This was quickly granted with
the proviso that we too fitted the Lancaster's strengthened undercarriage
(the Mk IV) which came with the new treaded tyres and improved brakes,
modifications we were glad to see incorporated. But this concession
gave us but 2,000 Ibs in payload which was not much when divided between
the eight passengers we expected to carry at night! About 250 lbs per
head - just add the PM's estimate body weight to his baggage! For short
daytime flights we were often to carry more than eight passengers. Fortunately,
the York, like a Lancaster, could take it.
However, one does not fly an aircraft to dry tank limits,
even if the destination is perfect in every respect.., though we once
did fly 'Ascalon' for more than twelve hours when the PM was not on
board. The longest flight with the PM was ten hours and fifteen minutes
when we had landed, in Algiers sunshine, with some two hours' fuel in
hand. Safe enough when flying into good weather and a reliable landing
forecast, not so funny if there was a risk of diversion and/or the need
to make more than one 'stab' through the overcast to find the runway.
Such was the occasion of the first flight that I made to Moscow, when
we had had a very indifferent brief as to the exact locality of the
Central airfield (Khodinka), no local maps provided by our Russian hosts
and had to land in low cloud and rain.
Thus the York was perfectly adequate for flights from
the UK to the Mediterranean theatre, provided we staged in North Africa
and used the 'Atlantic Route'. After the liberation of France, routing
to and from the Middle East became shorter and easier. But the PM had
wider ideas of where he might fly to in his comfortable aerial yacht,
perhaps to visit the troops in India and the Far East, or more important
in the shorter term, to cross the Atlantic to meet the President - at
the drop of a hat! The York, however enhanced, was quite incapable of
this. We the crew already had cast our covetous eyes on the President's
Douglas C54 (Skymaster to the RAF and likely to be available under leaselend).
We briefed the ADC with a certain amount of sales talk and, in October
1943, there was the first mention of such an acquisition in minutes
exchanged between No 10 and CAS's office.
SUMMER SOCIAL 8th June @ Station X Bletchley Park
See our Images page
|